Motorists travelling on the M5 this evening (July 19) were subjected to long delays after two separate fires caused traffic chaos.

A lorry fire between junctions 7 and 8 and a verge fire between junctions 22 and 23 meant drivers were forced to sit and wait for long periods, with the former incident holding people back for several hours.

Images from the scene between junctions 7 and 8, which serve Worcester and South Wales respectively, show that a lorry crashed into the verge and caught fire.

The scene between junctions 7 and 8 (Image: trafficcameras.uk)

One motorist got in touch with Somerset Live to say they had been stuck in the jam for almost two hours and had handed out water to other drivers.

They added that they had even seen people walking their dogs and cleaning their windscreens to pass the time.

Verge fire

Further down the M5, a verge fire caused traffic between Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge to become delayed.

The fire, the cause of which is unknown, was swiftly dealt with by Avon Fire and Rescue Service.

A lane was closed while firefighters worked.

It was re-opened at around 5.45pm, although delays remained.

(Video credit: @MrNicholasFox/Twitter)

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